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French region bans oyster sales in health scare
BORDEAUX, France (Reuters) - Authorities in southwestern France have banned the harvest and sale of oysters from one of the country's most famous shellfish producing regions following a series of public health scares.
The ban on oysters from the Bay of Arcachon, on the Atlantic coast, comes after tests revealed safety concerns over oysters and mussels from the region.
It comes at the height of the oyster breeding season and coincides with an epidemic of a herpes virus that has been killing unusually large numbers of young shellfish in other regions, although not Arcachon.
The ban cannot be lifted until two successive tests show the situation has returned to normal, according to a statement from Francis Idrac, prefect of the Gironde region in western France. The next test is scheduled on August 14.
Arcachon, which counts some 350 oyster producers employing around 1,000 workers, has suffered a series of problems in recent years with repeated bans due to safety concerns.
France produces about 110,000 tonnes of oysters a year. It is the world's fourth biggest producer after China, Korea and Japan.
(Reporting by Claude Canellas; writing by James Mackenzie; editing by Robert Hart)
